mvp 78

The only surprising turn of events for me recently is that Tom Werner is no longer on my list of Red Sox villains. I'm glad to know that he's constantly pushing for a higher payroll and wants to win the WS every year.

Red Sox only need a few weeks of distractions. Bill O'Brien may make a few teams surprised early on. The offense was pretty good the last time he was around.

@SmittyOnMLB Red Sox’s Sam Kennedy on 2023 projected standings: ‘They’re usually wrong’ They were right in 2020 and 2022. So I guess Sam Kennedy is usually wrong?

As for individual MLB jersey sales, Mookie Betts topped Lids’ rankings. Also making the top-10 was a Jackie Robinson throwback jersey at No. 5, and Cody Bellinger checked in at seventh. Not sure Dodgers fans are really paying attention... Top 10 player jerseys: Betts Jeter Griffey JR Tatis JR Jackie Robinson Altuve Bellinger? Clemente Acuna Ryan - TEX In terms team sales: NYY LAD CHW ATL TOR BOS HOU SDP PIT SFG

@jaketodonnell BA is releasing updated org Top 30s. Red Sox list is out now. Notable: Perales up to 17 on their list. Wong is still a prospect by their criteria at 20th. They're high on Cespedes, he's already 24th. 2022 draftees Brannon, Meidroth and Rogers are 25th, 27th and 29th respectively BA pre-season top 30: 1. Mayer SP1 2. Casas SP2 3. Rafaela SP4 4. Yoshida SPUNRANKED 5. Bleis SP3 6. Romero SP7 7. Yorke SP5 8. Mata SP6 9. Anthony SP9 10. Walter SP8 11. Paulino SP11 12. Gonzalez SP12 13. Murphy SP13 14. Jordan SP15 15. Hickey SP18 16. Bonaci SP16 17. Perales SP10 18. Lugo SP14 19. Valdez SP17 20. Wong SPGRADUATED 21. Coffey SP21 22. Abreu SP24 23. Kavadas SP20 24. Cespedes SP49 25. Brannon SP25 26. Rodriguez-Cruz SP19 27. Meidroth SP36 28. Kelly SP23 29. Rogers SP53 30. Ravelo SP45 The Cespedes ranking is high, but he was the big bonus paid out this year. Really don't know much about him TBH. I remember Ravelo being a pretty slick defensive player, but his bat hasn't really played at all in DSL, FCL or low A. Rogers is just a left handed relief profile and far away. Not sure I'd put him in the top 30 at this point. On the other hand, Meidroth hit very well after being drafted. I'm interested in seeing if he can continue it this year. He'll start at Salem, but should finish the year in Greenville. Good OBP guy, but low power potential for now. Probably 2B only profile. He's not the most athletic guy you can dream on, but that hit tool is something that the Sox are really looking at and it could fly through the minors if he keeps the k's down and bb's up.

"The advanced metrics say we are going to be in 4th place, Chaim..." "Yes, but if we can just keep the fans happy until football starts!" "Brilliant..."

If Chaim is building a team to compete, how can he justify this to Henry as being good enough unless this is what they are all expecting?

Injuries are a risk for EVERY player and EVERY contract, but I don't think it prevents you from making moves to improving your franchise unless there is a real known medical issue. Don't trade for Pedro in 1998 because of his body type. It's not worth the risk!

The power bats I noted as being taken away were Schwarber and Renfroe. Schwarber wasn't replaced. Renfroe was replaced with JBJ. Xander really isn't a power bat, maybe a gap to gap guy. Take away JD's April in '21 and his power has been gone for a while now. Other guys that should have produced: Story (injury bug, but showed flashes), Verdugo (will his bat ever kick in?), Kiké (dropped from 20 to 6), Raffy (injury zapped his 2nd half).

I don't think the plan is to finish last, but they haven't had a good plan in place to finish in 3rd... In recent memory when they haven't tried to "go for it": 2012 (post 2011, hired Bobby V to teach players a lesson and then gutted the team) 2014 (they just won a title, let them have their gruel) 2015 (Maybe Hanley and Pablo will make fans happy?) 2020 (time to tear it down and start by getting rid of the best player we have) 2022 (let's run last year back but take away the power bats and add more mediocrity)

@JustinMLB The Red Sox had a 38% projection to make the playoffs, in the 2021 preseason, FWIW

@CodifyBaseball Chances of making playoffs in 2023 (per FanGraphs): NYY 83.0% HOU 82.1% TB 69.3% TOR 67.7% CLE 54.1% SEA 48.0% MIN 46.4% LAA 39.0% TEX 33.0% BOS 30.7% CWS 27.8% BAL 9.9% KC 5.4% DET 2.9% OAK 0.9%

The last time a half year in age mattered was when I was able to sit for my license. At age 30? Yes, last season was his age 29 season. This year is his age 30 season. Are you expecting him to fall off a cliff? He has almost another decade to amass 25 fWAR and make his contract work out. He could do that by age 36. They'll be "eating" his deal at the end of it, but they are making money off of him right now. It's no different than what the Padres are doing 3 hours south of them.

If the Sox didn't go from last to first to last, fans would be more forgiving with the payroll. If they keep waiting "one more year" to go big on payroll, the boo birds will turn out in full force if the Sox can't make a realistic run at relevancy.

You need to pay somebody. If they totally pulled the plug on everyone, they'd have nobody to market.

Ticket price increase was 1.5-2% apparently. I guess fans are vaguely more interested this year?

2020: 2.8 fWAR partial season 2021: 3.8 fWAR injured and considered his "down year" with a 130 wRC+, 854 OPS 2022: 6.6 fWAR ho hum According to FanGraphs, he's already been worth over 100M to the Dodgers in just 2.5 years.

Sam is the used carsalesman of the bunch. He's the corporate doublespeak guy. I don't care for him at all.

@jcmccaffrey Cora says a lot of the non roster invitees will likely pitch the first few games. Says Kluber is scheduled to be the first of the major league starters to start a game which will be next Monday

Henry's longest response was saved for the CBA. JH: I believe the vast majority of players, agents and clubs dislike baseball's economic system. During the last CBA, clubs presented ideas for change -- ideas clubs thought could address a lot of player issues, but they were rejected. Similarly, the union presented ideas that the clubs rejected. Virtually all of the ideas for change were to address player issues but the system itself has become so convoluted over so many CBAs -- each one being an outgrowth of previous ones -- that is difficult now to agree on much of anything. Somehow the two sides found a way forward as difficult as that was but we continue to have a system -- again -- players and clubs are unhappy with. The system needs change. Competitive balance continues to be a huge issue for clubs. Players can better identify their issues better than I, but their issues are just as compelling. We have enough time to address fundamental issues prior to the next negotiation. We need ideas, but more than anything, we need to continue talking about the issues and work to address them in a collegial manner. I know our commissioner is committed to this. With regard to the Red Sox, we continue to work within the system whether it is on rule changes, disparity, economic incentives or competitive balance. This work is all about the game on the field and how all of these moving parts work together going forward. All of us who care about the game consistently discuss these issues. Right now, fundamental changes in media are at the forefront and we are fortunate to have a commissioner who has a very, very strong understanding of these issues and is always engaged in contingency planning and strategic solutions. Tom and I do what we can do assist. When he talks about the economics of baseball, he truly believes that he is in a small market and he doesn't want to spend. "And every team (maybe not the Mets) has a budget." - John Henry That quote tells you all you need to know.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/brayan-bello-is-primed-for-a-breakout-year/ With a healthy season, Bello's Steamer floor is projected to be: 117 IP 3.57 ERA

@SmittyOnMLB Red Sox ticket sales are up 4.5 percent from this time last year, Sam Kennedy says

Q: What, if anything, do you think you could have done differently in the negotiations with Xander Bogaerts? A: We could have offered 12 years! https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/2/20/23607145/red-sox-xander-bogaerts-hey-john-henry-do-the-damn-dishes

Today is the first full team workout, FYI.

Since the start of 2018, Adalberto has 3 fewer AB's than Byron Buxton.